Quilt construction is based on a foundation of individual fabric elements that are joined together at the edges, typically by sewing, to form blocks. These blocks are then joined together in a process known as piecing to form a larger quilt top.
To add ornamentation on the surface of the quilt, quilt makers may utilize a technique known as appliqué. In this process, quilt makers create specific, custom patterns for specific shapes, based upon the ornamentation to be applied to the quilt. For example, the quilt maker draws a pattern on a sheet of relatively thin plastic material and cuts the pattern from the sheet using a pair of scissors. The quilt maker then uses the pattern to trace one or more like-shaped appliqué elements on a piece of fabric material. The quilt maker then cuts the traced appliqué elements from the material using scissors. The quilt maker can then attach the appliqué elements to the quilt using a variety of techniques to form the final quilt top.